tough enough

[PAULREVENKOJONES]

Bob:

I take your point, of course. But again, what are we trying to accomplish with the test? My take is that it has always tested for a minimum competency in the basic act of tuning a piano: setting a temperament, midrange, stability, etc., and that the "other" elements of the "real world" are assumed to be under some control if one can tune to some standard otherwise. Yes, we could have another part of the test, on another piano, that tests for stable pitch-raising, but the test piano has to be kept within narrow limits of stability so that the examinee is not faced with pitch stabilization and subsequent tuning; and as well, and as important, so that the examiner has a piano that is measurable from a standard to a standard, from the de-tuning to the master tuning. The issue is one of the physics of the string system interacting with the soundboard/bridge and the bearing changes that follow from large(r) movements of the strings overall. I tend to agree with the argument that we should simulate the real world as best we can, but we are constrained by "time and space" for a test that at least determines whether an examinee can make a set of strings do what he or she wants, and make them stay there!

Paul

"If you want to know the truth, stop having opinions" (Chinese fortune cookie)


In a message dated 08/11/07 19:46:37 Central Daylight Time, ITUNEPIANO writes:
In a message dated 8/11/2007 11:17:12 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, paulrevenkojones at aol.com writes:
"How long an exam do you want?"

Hi Paul.  A piano uniformly 3 or 4 cents flat will better simulate  the average piano in the field.  That's not flat enough to skew the accuracy of the test by reason of instability - especially since we are moving only center strings.  The current method of one string flat, one sharp is very annoying, because we NEVER see a piano like that out in the field.  If the piano were detuned 8 cents, then a pitch raise would be needed, and 20 min could be allowed for that.  It wouldn't need to to be scored, the tuning test itself would score it.  I adjust pitch all day long, during or prior to tuning, depending on the situation.  The tuning test should simulate that IMHO.   

Bob Maret, RPT
Piano Technician







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